WELLINGTON 2nd XI gained only their second win of the season in Division One of the Somerset League when they beat Cranmore by two wickets away, writes David Derrick.

Cranmore decided to bat on winning the toss on a warm day. For the side from near Shepton Mallet, Hatch with 44 was their start turn with both bat and ball as their innings was a solid one, but it did not ever progress at the rate it should have done.

It was good to have Andy Hurry fit to bowl once more as he accepted a caught and bowled chance to remove Cranmore skipper Keene for 19. Smith with 30 was a solid opener for the visitors, but was out caught by Paul Short off Neil Hendy's accurate and testing medium pace that realised figures of 2-17 in nine fine overs all told as his second victim, the lower order batter Stewart, was a crucial wicket to get as he aided Cranmore to add more than useful late runs.

At 145-8, Wellington 2nd XI had put in one of their best bowling performances for a long time, but there was a sting in the tail as this score still had the capability to increase to 223 all told as Cranmore's last two wickets added a nagging 78 runs before the last man was dismissed at the 43.2 over mark. Hatch with 44 in 18 balls with four fours and four sixes, Stewart with 28, Hall with 20 and Miles with 24 dug in and kept Wellington in the field for far longer than they had expected.

Andy Hurry with 3-37 in nine overs, skipper Rob Moysey with 3-37 in nine overs and a wicket each for Jack Holloway and Brendan Poole secured full bowling bonus points for Wellington for the first time since Saturday, May 30. Aks Latifi took two catches and a stumping as his good all round season continued.

When it came to Wellington's turn to bat it was Latifi and Paul Short who opened with assurity and aplomb as they constructed a stand of 78 to take control of the game with Latifi hitting 41 in as many balls with seven fours and a six. Brendan Poole was Wellington's number three batter on the day and helped Short get the total to 110 before a second wicket was lost.

Neil Hendy and Hurry with 15 aided Short to push Wellington to the brink of victory but, with the score at 166. Short was stumped for an elegant 67 made in 100 balls with eight fours and a six. Hendy was the core for this Wellington win from the point at which the score was 166-4 as he crashed 50 not out in forty balls with nine fours and a six and with the resilience of the lower order batters a win was Wellington's.

Bracher with 3-32 in eight overs and Hatch with 2-27 in nine overs were good value for their analyses, but Angell, who let 59 runs go in nine overs, and Williams who let 54 go in 8.5, were expensive and this counted against Cranmore in the end as Wellington took 35 points to their 18.

Scores: Cranmore 223, Wellington 2nd XI 224-8.